Animal Quarantine

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they hold records of animals removed from quarantine centres before their period of quarantine is completed; and, if so, whether these records show that any birds from the Pegasus Centre, which may have come into contact with the parrot infected with avian flu, have been routinely tested.

Lord Bach: Animals are not removed from quarantine centres before their period of quarantine is completed. There are therefore no records of this.
	There is an ongoing investigation into the case at the Pegasus Centre. However, there is no evidence to suggest that live birds were at any time removed from the facility during their period of quarantine.

Avian Flu

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether trade in wild birds presents a risk of avian flu greater than that of poultry and migratory birds.

Lord Bach: On 28 October, the EU introduced a ban on imports into the Community of all captive birds (wild birds), along with new restrictions on the importation of pet birds. UK import rules have been amended to reflect that. Therefore, given the safeguard measures taken, this risk remains negligible.
	Legal imports of all live poultry and their products from countries where H5N1 has been detected have been banned. Therefore the direct legal importation to the UK of live birds and products from a third country known to be affected or indirect importation to the UK of live birds and products from a third country known to be affected through another member state to the UK is highly unlikely to occur. Therefore, given the safeguard measures taken, this risk remains negligible.
	There is an increased—but still low—likelihood for the introduction of the H5N1 virus to the UK from the outbreaks in the known affected countries in eastern Europe. That is based on advice from UK experts on migration that there is no major migration of water birds from those countries to the UK. However, there is a possibility that the frequency of H5N1 virus detection in wild birds may increase in those countries. Should that be the case, experts consider that H5N1 virus may arrive in the UK at some point in the future because of the potential for limited "mixing" at some "contact" points between the existing water bird populations from this part of Europe with the populations in the EU.
	The likelihood of the H5N1 virus being introduced to the UK may escalate to high should outbreaks be detected in the northern part of European Russia. That conclusion is based on the fact that outbreaks of H5N1 virus in this area would be within the direct migratory routes between northern Russia and the UK and involve greater numbers of migratory waterfowl.

Avian Flu

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether staff at the Pegasus Centre removed birds from the same batch as the parrot infected with avian flu before their quarantine period was completed.

Lord Bach: There is no evidence that live birds were at any time removed from the facility during their period of quarantine.

Casinos

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will announce where the new large casinos will be allowed to operate.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has established an independent casino advisory panel to assist her in the exercise of her order-making powers under Section 175(4) of the Gambling Act 2005 to determine the geographical distribution of the new casino premises licences, including those for large casinos. The panel is due to make its recommendations by the end of 2006, and the Secretary of State will announce her decisions in spring 2007. The licensing authorities whose areas are chosen by the Secretary of State are required to be specified in the order under Section 175(4). That order will be subject to parliamentary approval by the affirmative resolution procedure.

EU: 2007–13 Financial Perspective

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will abandon the proposed budget ceiling of 1 per cent. for European Union gross domestic product in order to facilitate an agreement within the 2007–13 European Union financial perspectives.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Government continue to believe that in the next financial perspective the EC budget should be stabilised at around current expenditure levels and should not exceed 1.0 per cent. of EU GNI.

EU: UK Legislation

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportion of new United Kingdom legislation has originated in the European Union since 1998.

Lord Triesman: Based on the analysis of regulatory impact assessments carried out on EU and domestic legislation, we estimate that around half of all UK legislation with an impact on business, charities or the voluntary sector emanates from the EU. Analysis by the Library of the House of UK statutory instruments implemented annually under the European Communities Act, suggests that on average, since 1998, around 9 per cent of statutory instruments originate from Brussels (Standard Note SN/IA/2888). The total volume of statutory instruments of course encompasses a wide range of instruments, including those, such as road closures, with purely local effect.

EU: UK Presidency

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the objectives they are seeking to achieve during the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union.

Lord Triesman: The work programme of the UK presidency was set out in detail in a White Paper Cmnd 6611, which I presented to the House on 30 June (Official Report, cols. 334–337).
	The priorities are future financing, economic reform and social justice, including issues such as better regulation; Europe's role in the world, in areas such as the Doha Development Agenda, development and Africa, climate change, sugar reform and the Middle East; and security and stability, including counter-terrorism and enlargement.
	On future financing, the Government will work hard to reach a deal at the December European Council. A budget deal is part of putting Europe back on the right track, but it is easier to get the budget right in the context of a clear direction for Europe's economic and social policy for the future. At the informal summit at Hampton Court on 27 October, EU leaders reached broad agreement on the direction outlined in the European Commission's paper European values in a globalised world. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister made a Written Statement on the Hampton Court informal summit on 31 October (Official Report, Commons, cols. 30–32 WS).
	We have also already made real advances on these policy priorities. On better regulation, we have made major progress. Some 68 regulations have been withdrawn in the EU, and 100 have been simplified. The post-financial services action plan, which is intended to secure a much lighter touch over regulation, has been agreed. On development in Africa, there have been major improvements, with a doubling in the promises of aid to Africa. Sugar reforms should be agreed by the Agriculture Council in November. On enlargement, we were delighted that the European Union was able, under the United Kingdom presidency, to open accession negotiations with Turkey and Croatia.
	Further detail on these priorities can be found at www.eu2005.gov.uk/priorities.

Exotic Birds

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many illegally imported exotic birds have been seized in each year between 2000 and 2005.

Lord Bach: In compiling statistical records, the department does not use the term "exotic" when referring to birds. However, figures recorded for birds classified by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) and seized when illegally imported are given in the table below.
	
		
			 Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 (to date) 
			 Number seized 70 230 752 6 2,922 313

Food Security

Lord Swinfen: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In their plans for the defence of the realm, what provision they are making to secure adequate domestic food production.

Lord Bach: Our food security policy ensures that consumers have access to a stable and adequate supply of food, and our domestic agriculture industry has an important contribution to make to the continuity of food supply by improving its ability to produce what the market requires. The reformed CAP, in breaking the link between subsidy and production, is encouraging farmers to produce what the market requires, rather than what subsidies dictate. Our farmers are well placed to produce foodstuffs that Europe's climate is suited to, but we cannot grow all the agricultural products our consumers might want to buy. The UK has long been a net importer of food, and national and international food security is best facilitated through improved trading relationships based on more open international markets and reductions in trade-distorting subsidies.
	Until the early 1990s, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (now Defra) maintained a strategic food stockpile for use in emergency situations, such as wartime. The food stockpiles were dispensed in the early 1990s and replaced by the food vulnerability model (FVM). The FVM is capable of providing Ministers with data on the availability of food supplies at all stages of the food chain. The FVM is a GIS-based tool that uses data collected from the agricultural census and from a survey carried out in the food industry for Defra by the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD). The information collected would prove vital to the Government in their role of protecting the community from food shortages in any emergency, as it will inform our assessment of food supply chain capability and resilience. The current security climate has reinforced the need for such information.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Lord Willoughby de Broke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the estimated interest accrued to date on unpaid invoices for services provided by contractors during the 2001 foot and mouth disease epidemic.

Lord Bach: None. Any invoices remaining unpaid are disputed legally, and the question of interest does not arise pending resolution of the fundamental disagreement as to the obligation to pay the principal sum.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Lord Willoughby de Broke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the outstanding amount still owed to contractors employed by the Government during the 2001 foot and mouth disease epidemic; and whether such contractors will be entitled to claim interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

Lord Bach: On the basis of the quantum, accounting, technical and legal advice received, there are no outstanding amounts owed to contractors engaged by the Government during the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak.
	The Government are disputing payment in those cases where they believe on the basis of the professional advice that they have received that they were overcharged for goods, services and works during the foot and mouth disease outbreak. Invoices to the value of £5.1 million remain disputed and unpaid.
	In all other cases, the department has paid businesses for the goods, services and works provided at its request in connection with the outbreak in 2001.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Lord Willoughby de Broke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many contractors employed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs during the 2001 foot and mouth disease epidemic have been taken to court; what were the results of any court proceedings; and what percentage of the total amount of contractors' invoices is involved in legal dispute proceedings.

Lord Bach: Five contractors engaged by the department during the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak have been taken to court. Three cases are the subject of High Court litigation. Two cases have been settled through alternative disputes resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
	Just under 0.4 per cent. (£5.1 million out of £1.288 billion) of the total amount of contractors' invoices is involved in legal dispute proceedings.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 0870 Telephone Numbers

Lord Tyler: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office now follows the guidance of the Central Office of Information and OFCOM in relation to the use of 0870 and 0845 telephone numbers for public enquiries.

Lord Triesman: Yes. Since 9 September 2005, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice number has been changed to 0845 from 0870.
	The 0870 number will continue to run in conjunction with the 0845 number for one year until it is discontinued. The 0845 number is being used in all new promotional material. So far, the take-up rate for the 0845 number has been 55 per cent. of all calls received since 9 September 2005.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 apply to information held by the Financial Reporting Council, the Professional Oversight Board for Accountancy or the Financial Reporting Review Panel.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies to bodies listed in Schedule 1, bodies designated by order under Section 5 of the Act and publicly owned companies as defined in Section 6 of the Act.
	The Financial Reporting Council, the Professional Oversight Board for Accountancy and the Financial Reporting Review Panel are independent organisations and not part of any other public authority. They are not listed in Schedule 1, are not publicly owned companies and have not been designated under Section 5. They are therefore not covered by the Act. They do not meet the conditions for inclusion in Schedule 1 and cannot be covered by the Act in that way. No bodies have yet been designated under Section 5.

House of Lords: Dress Code

Lord Laird: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Whether he will circulate a notice on dress code in the House of Lords to all Members, in order to secure their support in policing the code.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: I am happy to remind Members, by means of this Answer, that, as stated on page 67 of the Handbook on Facilities and Services for Members, men are required to wear a jacket and tie in the Peers' Dining Room, the Peers' Guest Dining Room, the Guest Room Bar and the Barry Room.

Illegal Regimes

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What criteria they use to determine that a state is being governed by an illegal government or regime.

Lord Triesman: The Government's position continues to be that, where a new regime comes to power unconstitutionally, our attitude on the question of whether it qualifies to be treated as a government will be left to be inferred from the nature of the dealings, if any, that we may have with it, and in particular whether we are dealing with it on a normal government-to-government basis.

Illegal Regimes

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which states they have determined are currently governed by an illegal government or regime.

Lord Triesman: I refer to the Answer I gave the noble Lord today (HL 1893).

Iraq: Armed Forces

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which of the units of the new Iraqi army, which they have accepted responsibility for training, are now fully capable of acting independently and leading operations.

Lord Drayson: British Armed Forces are working as part of the wider coalition effort to train Iraqi army forces to conduct self-sufficient security operations. As at 24 October 2005, the coalition forces had trained more than 98,000 Iraqi soldiers nationally, out of an agreed baseline of 135,000. That includes almost all those forces based in MND(SE). The level of competence varies, however, according to the training received and their equipment programme.

Iraq: Armoured Vehicles

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will equip United Kingdom Armed Forces in Iraq with armour-plated vehicles similar to those provided to United States Armed Forces due to the current operating conditions.

Lord Drayson: UK Armed Forces always deploy with a mix of armour in order to suit the range of conditions and threats encountered on operations such as TELIC. In this case, Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks, Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and Saxon Armoured Personnel Carriers and SNATCH armoured Land Rovers provide that mix, and would equate to the US M1 Abrams, M2 Bradley and HMMWV (high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle fleet) respectively. Force commanders in theatre constantly review the nature and level of the threat to British troops, and thereby assign assets in line with the currently assessed areas of highest risk and operational priority.

Iraq: Armoured Vehicles

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the provision of armoured vehicles to the Iraqi police force has contributed to the non-availability of such vehicles to the United Kingdom Armed Forces in Iraq.

Lord Drayson: No. As at 31 October 2005, the Iraqi police service in MND(SE) had taken receipt of 59 ex-Northern Ireland urban patrol Land Rovers donated under the auspices of Project OSIRIS, the security sector reform project which aims to re-equip the Iraqi security forces with the vehicles, infrastructure and equipment they require to undertake security themselves. The Land Rovers were surplus to UK requirements, and the subsequent modification is not to a configuration operated by UK Forces.

Iraq: Prisoners

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they accept residual responsibility for the possible mistreatment by the Iraqi police of prisoners transferred by the United Kingdom Armed Forces to the local authorities in Iraq.

Lord Drayson: We are helping the Iraqis to restore stability and build a democratic state. A strong, functioning, legal system is central to this project.
	We take all practicable steps to ensure that any prisoners handed over to the Iraqi criminal justice system are not mistreated. We have agreed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Iraqis governing prisoner transfer. Under the terms of the MoU, we seek written guarantees for each prisoner transferred to the Iraqis ensuring that they will not be mistreated. And once transferred, court liaison teams from the Royal Military Police monitor their cases to ensure no abuse is occurring.
	However, once transferred their treatment is ultimately a matter for a sovereign Iraqi government.

Israel: Bethlehem

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they are making to the government of Israel over the construction of the Israeli wall around the city of Bethlehem.

Lord Triesman: Israel has a right to protect its citizens from terrorist attack, but the routing of the barrier on occupied territory is contrary to international law. We have made clear our concerns on the routing of the barrier beyond the green line to the Israeli Government at all levels and will continue to do so. Most recently, my honourable friend the Minister for State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Kim Howells) raised this during my visit to the region on 27–30 September. We have not made specific representations over the construction of the barrier around Bethlehem.

Israel: Occupied Territories

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of restrictions imposed by the Government of Israel that impede the growth of academia and of higher education institutions in the Palestinian territories.

Lord Triesman: We have not made a specific assessment of restrictions that impede the growth of academia and higher education establishments in the Palestinian territories, but the continued Israeli closure regime of roadblocks and checkpoints and the imposition of curfews have a severe impact on almost every Palestinian in the occupied territories. Closures, checkpoints and the routing of the barrier hinder ordinary Palestinians' travel and make it difficult for students and teachers to travel to school.
	We have expressed our concerns to the Israeli Government on political, legal and humanitarian grounds and will continue to do so.

Lloyd's

Lord Jenkin of Roding: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in light of the fact that HM Treasury's consultation paper, Implementation of the insurers reorganisation and winding-up directive for Lloyd's, did not reach many of those likely to be affected by the proposed regulations because it was published only on the Treasury's website, they will review their procedures for consulting on Lloyd's issues to make it more likely that any proposals come directly to the attention of former Lloyd's names.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: In line with the Cabinet Office code of practice on consultation, HM Treasury published the consultation document on the Insurers (Reorganisation and Winding-Up) (Lloyd's) Regulations 2005 on its website to ensure wide public availability. In addition to that, HM Treasury sent hard copies of the consultation document directly to the Society of Lloyd's and members' and managing agents as representatives of names and former names.
	HM Treasury remains committed to continually improving its consultation processes and will be meeting representatives of the society and members' agents to review its procedures for consulting on Lloyd's issues in future. In particular the Treasury, where appropriate, will also bring further consultation on relevant Lloyd's issues direct to the attention of known representatives of former Lloyd's names.

NHS Pension Scheme

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the notes to the accounts of the NHS Pensions Agency for 2004–05 are accurate in saying that the latest assessment of the liabilities of the NHS Pension Scheme may be found on the NHS Pensions Agency's website; and, if so, precisely where on that site may the information be found.

Lord Warner: The latest assessment of the pension scheme liabilities can be found in the 2003–04 pension scheme resource accounts, which are published on the website. The address is www.nhspa.gov.uk/library/HC231weboptimised.pdf. The deadline for publication of the 2004–05 pension scheme resource accounts is 31 January 2006, after which time they will appear at the same address on the agency's website.

Palestinian Children: Nutrition

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made any assessment of the nutritional state of Palestinian children.

Baroness Amos: A survey conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) in 2004 found that 9.4 per cent. of children under five were short for their age and that 1.9 per cent. of those children had low weight for their height. These indicators can be interpreted as measures of chronic and acute malnutrition, respectively. However, they also suggest that the nutritional situation in the West Bank and Gaza is similar to that of other countries in the region. DfID is providing £1 million over six years as part of a multi-donor project to strengthen the capacity of the PCBS and enable it to carry out its work.
	A previous nutritional assessment carried out by the John Hopkins and Al Quds Universities in 2002 concluded that the figures for chronic malnutrition (stunting) and acute malnutrition (wasting) among children under five were 11.7 per cent. and 7.8 per cent. respectively. When the Gaza Strip was considered alone, the figures rose to 17.5 per cent. and 13.3 per cent. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has observed that "while malnutrition has been eliminated, mild to moderate iron deficiency anaemia is still highly prevalent among pre-school children". DfID is providing £15 million to UNRWA's work with Palestinian refugees this financial year and has provided a total of £117 million over the past six years.

People Trafficking

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many women and children were trafficked to the United Kingdom from eastern Europe in 2004, and during the first six months of 2005.

Lord Triesman: Given the nature of the crime, there are no reliable figures for the number of victims trafficked in or out of the UK. The Government are, however, committed to tackling this criminality. We have tasked the Reflex Group to co-ordinate intelligence on people trafficking and have introduced criminal sanctions and broadened the scope for prosecution of trafficking and exploitation offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into effect on 1 May 2004 and carries a sentence of up to 14 years' imprisonment.

Poultry Farms

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many commercial poultry farmers there are in England; and why, according to the statement by the Lord Bach on avian flu on 26 October (Official Report, cols. 1203–6), no register is currently held.

Lord Bach: Defra census data for June 2004 indicate that there were 5,536 registered holdings that have poultry as their predominant agricultural activity.
	Individual registers held by Defra, NFU and individual poultry organisations have been in use for some time for particular purposes and species. There is now clearly a need for a consolidated register that holds a wider range of information, including those that hold minor bird species not previously registered and smaller numbers of birds. To address this, the first GB poultry register for all commercial flocks of 50 or more birds is currently being developed by Defra, under the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) Regulations 2005.

Professor David Coggon

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 25 October (WA 180), why the name, contact address and personal website of Professor David Coggon, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, appear on the University of Southampton University2Business website.

Lord Bach: I understand that Professor Coggon was not aware of the website or that his name was on it. The Centre for Enterprise and Innovation at Southampton University operates the website. Apparently, a directory of expertise has been held at the university for a long time, and it seems that this has been used by those responsible for the University2Business Scheme.
	Professor Coggon has not, as far as he is aware, received any contacts in relation to the scheme. Professor Coggon does not have, and never has had, a personal website. He holds a personal chair in the University of Southampton, and as such, has provided a page of biographical details for inclusion on the School of Medicine website.
	Professor Coggon also serves as deputy director of the community clinical sciences division in the School of Medicine. As such, his name may appear as a contact point in university communications relating to the division. However, as indicated previously, he is a Medical Research Council employee and is not paid by the university.

Protection of Military Remains Act 1986

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What direct cost to public funds is incurred when the wreck of a vessel is designated as protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

Lord Drayson: Costs incurred in designating wrecks under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 are administrative in nature and are not specifically recorded. The information therefore could be provided only at disproportionate effort.

Protection of Military Remains Act 1986

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many wrecks have been considered for designation as protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

Lord Drayson: Following a public consultation exercise on the operation of the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 held in 2001, Ministers decided that a small representative number of wrecks, lost when on military service as defined in the Act, would be designated as controlled sites (on which any activity without a licence is prohibited).
	Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 1761 designated 11 wrecks—the remains of HMS "Bulwark", HMS "Dasher", HMS "Formidable", HMS "Hampshire", HMS "Natal", HMS "A7", HMS "Vanguard", HMS "Affray", HMS "Exmouth", HMS "Royal Oak" and the submarine "H5"—as controlled sites. The statutory instrument also designated six wrecks as protected places (where diving activity is permitted on a "look but don't touch" basis)—HMS "Hood", HMS "Prince of Wales", HMS "Repulse", HMS "Gloucester", RFA "Sir Galahad" and the U-Boat "U-12".
	Ministers also announced that all other military vessels that met the criteria outlined in the consultation document would be designated as protected places as part of a rolling programme of assessment. Following consultation with a number of bodies, a second tranche of designations comprising 30 candidate wrecks, all considered to be on military service when lost, has been drawn up. Once the list has been finalised, ministerial approval will be sought to the designation of the vessels as protected places. Further tranches will follow.

Protection of Military Remains Act 1986

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the procedure for designating the wrecks of vessels as protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

Lord Drayson: Candidate vessels for designation as protected places are identified as part of a rolling programme of assessment. The assessment is made against the criteria set out in the report of the 2001 Public Consultation on Military Maritime Graves and the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 at www.mod.uk/consultations/maritime-graves/index.htm. Once approval by Secretary of State is given, designation is effected by means of a statutory instrument.

Renewable Energy

Lord Jenkin of Roding: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the statement by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 27 October in the debate on energy supply, when they will arrange for the Renewables Obligations Certificate regime to be applied to nuclear power stations.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The current statutory consultation on the 2005–06 review of the renewables obligation does not include any proposals to extend support to nuclear power. A copy of the consultation document is available from the Libraries of both Houses.

St Lucia

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which domestic priorities of the Government of St Lucia are supported by aid from other governments; and what action they are taking to provide such assistance.

Baroness Amos: St Lucia's national development policy is reflected in general policy statements and the policies of sectoral ministries. The preparation of a medium term national development strategy paper for 2005–08 is under way.
	The Government of St Lucia are committed to poverty reduction and meeting the millennium development goals and clearly acknowledge the importance of sustainable economic growth and development in that context. The Government have in the past prioritised poverty reduction through various policies and programmes, for example through overall support to the agriculture and tourism sectors, as well as the provision of social safety nets. Donor support to St Lucia supports those broad priorities as detailed below.
	The Department for International Development (DfID) continues to engage in St Lucia through its regional assistance programme for the Caribbean, which covers public sector reform, economic and fiscal management, education and HIV/AIDS. DfID's programme in the Caribbean is worth £10.5 million per annum, of which £3.5 million is assigned to regional issues. While some funds are available for particular strategic issues that may arise in-country, the main focus of the regional programme is to improve the effectiveness of other regional and international assistance, particularly through institutional strengthening. DfID has a number of regional projects of which St Lucia is a beneficiary, including in the areas of education, microfinance, civil society development, international trade negotiations, and combating HIV/AIDS. Two companies in St Lucia also receive support under the Business Linkages Challenge Fund.
	The European Union (EU) has been the largest provider of grant assistance to St Lucia in recent years. The funds are drawn from a number of EU aid instruments including the 10-year special framework for assistance (SFA), which helps countries adjust to changes in the EU's banana regime. Projects under the SFA have focused on rural development and covered irrigation and rural credit facilities, as well as private sector development and social safety nets. Under the European Development Fund (EDF) health is the focal sector for the programme in St Lucia. This is worth just over £3 million for the period from 2002 to 2007, the UK share of which is 12.7 per cent. The major activity to be undertaken under this support is the construction of a new hospital.
	The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is also a key donor in St Lucia, and its planned concessional assistance over the next three years amounts to a programme of £62.5 million. The UK's share of the CDB's concessional funds following the recent replenishment stands at 24 per cent. That assistance will cover activities under three broad objectives: sustainable economic growth, good governance and inclusive social development. Priority will be given to the water and sewage sector, hazard mitigation and tourism infrastructure and development.
	Assistance from the World Bank has focused on reducing environmental vulnerability (including disaster mitigation), human resource development and poverty reduction. The UK share of World Bank funding is approximately 10 per cent.
	Other development partners active in St Lucia include the French Government, and the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development, both of which are involved in transport issues. The Government of the People's Republic of China are committed to assisting with the construction of a new psychiatric hospital. The United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Japan have focused on the fisheries sector. Besides the World Bank, several other development partners also provide support for combating HIV/AIDS in St Lucia. They include the Pan-American Health Organisation, the United Nations Population Fund, and the Clinton Foundation.

UK Trade and Investment

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the light of the report by Ernst and Young on the Department of Trade and Industry export agency UK Trade and Investment, whether they will ensure that any improper expenditure of public funds by civil servants at the agency is repaid in full by those responsible; and
	In the light of the report by Ernst and Young on the Department of Trade and Industry export agency UK Trade and Investment, what is the total estimated cost to the public purse of the improper expenditure there referred to.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The DTI and UKTI take any allegations of impropriety or misuse of taxpayers' money seriously, and investigate them. Action is taken where necessary. Where government departments find evidence of improper expenditure, there are procedures set out under government accounting rules and in the Civil Service management code that departments follow. They can include recovery in appropriate circumstances where it is reasonable to do so. Specific cases are subject to internal processes, and it would be wholly inappropriate to comment on them.

Workplace Violence

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What measures they are taking to eradicate workplace violence and to protect those at work from attacks by members of the public whom they meet while carrying out their normal duties.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government are committed to tackling work-related violence. Over the past 10 years, there has been a significant drop in the number of reported incidents from 1.3 million to 655,000*. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been working hard to help employers tackle the problem. In the past five years, HSE has published free case study guidance for small businesses and lone workers; supported new national occupational standards to help employers develop effective policies on work related violence; and undertaken a programme of targeted inspections in the healthcare sector.
	HSE is working with its stakeholder group, the Partnership on Work-Related Violence, to address the problem of work-related violence in the sectors most at risk. The group will continue to share knowledge and promote good practice and develop ways to make the information more accessible to those who need it.
	*Source: British Crime Survey 1995, 2004–05

World Trade Organisation

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether formal qualified majority voting exists in the decision-taking procedures of the World Trade Organisation; if so, what majority is necessary; and what other rules apply to such voting.

Lord Triesman: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) normally takes decisions by consensus. However, in limited circumstances, the WTO agreement envisages that, where consensus cannot be obtained, a decision may be taken by a lesser number of the WTO membership. For example, the granting of a waiver of certain WTO obligations to a WTO member under Article IX.3 of the WTO agreement may be taken by three-quarters of the WTO membership. Similarly, a decision on accession of a new member under Article XII(2) of the WTO agreement must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the members of the WTO.